Happy Families

As soon as we rounded the corner after our 3 hour journey from Pipa (stuck in traffic), we could see KeKe standing outside the Pousada with a strange, maybe strained (?) look on her face. Her welcome was slightly cold but we tried to ignore this.

I think I wasn't being entirely forthcoming before about relations since our initial arrival in Joao Pessoa because I didn't feel it appropriate that I should be. But events have made me feel it isn't worth being discreet anymore.
KeKe had become steadily more cold towards us since we first came, the atmosphere growing more and more uncomfortable every day. I think we offended her on our first night by not allowing our children to sleep in the same room as her daughter Carla (whom none of us had met at the time). Since we came we've felt all our decisions taken out of our hands. She hired a car for us without asking if we wanted one but then had Carla drive her around in it most days for her own purposes forcing us to wait around for the car for hours, delaying our plans. And when we did have the car, we were always made to feel we needed to be back for this or that when this was our holiday. The plans we made were often dashed or changed by KeKe and you usually got the feeling it was because she wanted the car but more that she wanted to be in control.

Anyway, things came to a head the day after our arrival back from Pipa. We were told by KeKe that we were being taken to a certain beach by Carla who was to drop us there but we needed to be back by five for a meal Carla was going to cook for us.

We spent a pleasant enough morning on a beach with a beach bar. As lunch time had come and gone and our stomachs were rumbling, we considered getting an açai or an ice cream to keep us going. Patrick rang KeKe to advise her of these plans which seemed to send her into a rage because of this meal arrangement and she hung up the phone. This seemed odd as the meal was at five.

Not wishing to cause more ructions we decided to go home. Carla came to pick us up. We arrived back at three with the meal cooked and ready to be dished up and KeKe furious. As we sat down at the table she marched assertively over to the table insisting how much she did for us, cooked for us, had paid money to hire a car for us (which we hadn't asked for), basically scolding us like little children.

This was a bridge to far for me so I interrupted her rant explaining as diplomatically as one can who is fuming that we had been told (by her) that dinner was at five and that there had been a horrid atmosphere in the hotel building for days and she had made us feel like we were a burden to her. I told her she had a persecution complex when we had all come here in good faith to have a holiday.

This sent her in to further histrionics and she indicated how ungrateful we were whilst Sean and Caroline were not (divide and conquer tactics I assume) but I was past caring by this stage. Gareth soon waded in in disgust. There is only so long we were prepared to play nice. I felt I was contained but Erin told Caroline the last time she had seen me that angry was when I was in Saibsbury's and Ikea had rung up to tell me our fitted kitchen was to arrive fourteen days later than scheduled! So perhaps I was a little cross...

Ibby burst into tears and Lyla the kindly receptionist took her off for an ice cream. Carla was in tears by now and went off to book a flight back to her home town so upset by her mother, Lyla came back and was instantly fired by KeKe for having the audacity to comfort a crying child and promptly reinstated by Patrick, and Anthony (KeKe's English speaking son) came and apologised for his mothers behaviour.

The fireworks seemed to die down then and KeKe marched off. We tried to force down the meal Carla had kindly prepared for us but nobody was hungry so we soon headed down to the beach to discuss a move to a new Pousada.
Patrick had insisted it would all blow over and we must not do this so we decided to sleep on it.

There have been no more fireworks since but the atmosphere is a little frosty but growing warmer (but not exactly towards me as yet. But hey-ho).
It transpires the stress of running this Pousada was getting to KeKe. But the general feel of the place is improving and we've only a few days before we fly home.

Who says we don't spread joy and happiness wherever we go..?